Our Mission

› Raising public awareness of the urgent need to restore and preserve the final remnants of Eastern Europe’s glorious Jewish communities.

› Working closely with the descendants of each cemetery in a concerted effort to restore their ancestral resting place.

› Securing the cemetery by enclosing the entire site with durable fencing.

› Restoring the interior of the cemetery by cleaning the grounds and repairing/re-erecting the gravestones, thus restoring the honor to the deceased and simultaneously preserving the genealogical information contained in the cemetery.

› Ensuring the safety and upkeep of the restored cemeteries through long-term maintenance.

› Creating detailed burial catalogs of each restored cemetery.

Welcome

Welcome to the Heritage Foundation for Preservation of Jewish cemeteries (HFPJC)/Avoyseinu

It is our honor to represent the hundreds of individuals and families who comprise the Committee of Descendants in each individual cemetery project. Their firm commitment to preserving their forsaken ancestral burial sites against all odds, financial and otherwise, is truly inspiring and encourages us to continue this holy work of rescuing, restoring, and preserving the abandoned Jewish cemeteries throughout Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Western Ukraine, and some parts of Poland.

“May the enormous merit of this sacred cause continue to bless our efforts.”

News

Status Report

The Status Report is released through the HFPJC twice annually, with a listing of all cemeteries in which the HFPJC has been/is currently involved. Each cemetery has a code depicting its status, and code definitions are provided at the the end of the report. This list is an excellent thread for one who is searching for the current condition of one’s ancestral cemeteries. If the cemetery in question isn’t listed, please contact our organization, and we’ll be glad to conduct an on-site evaluation to provide you with current information on the cemetery’s preservation status.

New activities

After many years of neglect and ruins, the esteemed descendants of the cemetery in Dedinka, Slovakia, the Herzog Family of Kedem Winery, asked the HFPJC to evaluate and restore the cemetery to a dignified condition, as befits a Jewish final resting site. A new, durable fence has been constructed around the cemetery and a large part of the sunken and broken tombstones have already been re-erected. The project is scheduled for completion shortly, be’ezras Hashem.

Announcements

The Aranyasapati cemetery has lain in abandon for the past number of years, overgrowth and general neglect damaging the stones and grounds. Recently, an evaluation through the HFPJC discovered the stone of Reb Elchanan Zalman ben Reb Avrohom of Janosi, the patriarch of a large and esteemed family residing across a few continents. Determined to set the resting site of their revered ancestor in a respectable condition, the families are working intensely to raise the needed costs for the restoration. They appeal to all who are capable to join the project, simultaneously garnering invaluable merits.

News within the organization

Despite the delayed spring season, HFPJC is proud to announce that the maintenance of year 2013 has been successfully launched. The first of the four periodic cuttings is well underway, and photos from the personal inspections of HFPJC representatives are streaming in. These photos are being sorted through the dedicated staff at the HFPJC Maintenance Division, and sent to the sponsoring descendants.